From EcoReality

Contents 1 Marketing Lavender in the Pacific Northwest 1.1 Conditions for Harvest and Drying 1.2 Yield 1.3 Sales 1.4 Reference

Marketing Lavender in the Pacific Northwest

EcoReality has about a 1/4 acre planted in lavender. At EcoReality in 2006, we were not able to harvest all of the approx. 400 L. angustifolia plants. The total yield we had after processing (drying and rubbing the flower buds off through 1/4" screen hardware cloth) was approx. 30 kg (66 lbs). Our goal this year is to reduce processing for bulk sales, preferring to sell bundles directly, as well as turn our bulk flower buds into products ourselves.

Conditions for Harvest and Drying

Lavender should never be harvested when wet. Harvesting wet lavender may lead to discoloration and mold in bundled lavender, and it can lead to chemical changes in the essential oil that can reduce quality. It is also best not to harvest when the weather is very hot, which can lead to wilting and oil loss.

Typically lavender bundles are cut and hung upside down away from sunlight in a well-ventilated area. At EcoReality, we plan to try a new method this year, instead of bundling right out of the field. We plan to place cut lavender stems into boxes in the field, and then transfer them onto 1/4" hardware cloth that has been stretched between two secure bricks or blocks in a trailer that is darkened, dust-free, and well-ventilated with fans. Each day’s harvest will be called a “batch” and will be recorded for inventory, and monitored for level of dryness. After a batch is dry, stems will be gathered to form a 1.5" bundle (diameter measured at the point where the bundle is banded or secured by ribbon). Stems will be aligned so that flower heads are uniform in height, and short, damaged or inferior stems will be removed. The ends of the stems will be cut squarely for a finished look. Like roses, buyers often demand “long stems” on lavender bundles. Finished bundles will be stored in boxes away from light and heat until time of sale.

Yield

Yields of bundles and dried lavender buds will vary considerably from variety to variety.

In the literature, Lavandula angustifolia var. 'Grosso' is reported to yield 4 and 6 bundles per plant (bundles averaging about 150 stems per bundle). One 'Grosso' plant should yield between 1/4 and 1/2 lb of dried buds.

This equates to a little over 1,000 lbs of dried ‘Grosso’ lavender buds per acre.

Sales

Bundles of fresh lavender are easy to sell at farmers’ markets, street fairs, and many other places with good foot traffic. Adding a decorative ribbon (purple for Carol!), we plan to see EcoReality lavender bundles, either fresh or dried, at our farm stand (to be developed!), as well as alongside Carol and Jan’s crafts and in their art studio. We may sell bundles at Salt Spring Tuesday or Saturday farmers’ markets, depending on time and energy to put together a booth. There are only a few weeks in July when lavender can be sold as fresh bundles, but this can be a great way to move a lot of lavender quickly, and to generate instant cash flow right after harvest – we’ll see what this season brings!

Most lavender products are purchased by upper middle class customers, with adequate discretionary income. Women buy more lavender products than men. Customers who are interested in mental health, natural medicine, and those who are innovative in the kitchen are buying more and more lavender products. Florists, craftspeople, boutique stores, and many others buy lavender bundles, but they must be of very high quality, consistent and uniform, with good color and fragrance. EcoReality is only interested in sustainable sales of its products, and so we choose not to ship our fragile lavender long distances. We will consider local sales (Gulf Islands or Vancouver) if we can get a good price for the bundles. We determined that the income for labour ratio of selling lavender flower buds was not efficient enough for us to do again in 2007. However, we do also to rub stems through 1/4" screen hardware cloth to obtain some bulk flower buds that will be used in value-added processing at EcoReality; these following products may be crafted from lavender flower buds. The design and quantity will depend on Carol, the Farm Steward and Crafter, as well as on volunteer labour.

• Sachets (including a “Dryer” sachet to place in the clothes dryer in lieu of fabric softerner)
• Lavender eye pillows (contain flax seed or buckwheat hulls), have therapeutic value and can be heated and used on other body parts

Reference

Beus, C. 2006 

“Growing and Marketing Lavender. Farming the Northwest Series. Washington State University Extension.

--Shannon Cowan, Ecology steward